Clamp



Nov. 8, 1955 F. w. SCHEIFELE 2,722,727

CLAMP Filed Jan. 12, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR F'rezl MJc/Sez'feZe.

BY \QG- ATTQRNEYS.

1955 F. w. SCHEIFELE 2,722,727

CLAMP Filed Jan. 12, 1951 S Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR eaZ llf'checfcze ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 8, 1955 F. w. SCHEIFELE CLAMP 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 12, 1951 NVENTOR l3 Fred WJckea'fe la.

ATTO RN EYS United. States Patent GLAMB Frederick WI Sclieifele, Audubon, N. J. Application January 12, .1951; SeriaI 'No. 2055732 3 Claims. (Cl; 2.4',-249) The present invention re1ates= togclamps, particularly of the character adapted to: engage: generally; round ob jects'.-.

A. purpesepof theiinventioniis .to cause; clamps. to posi-. tion an object without grippinguntihlaterah pressureis. applied on the object, and then to grip the objeetswhen lateral: pressure occurs:

A'-further purpose: is to move an object farther. back between gripping jawswhe'n: lateral: pressure; is 1 applied andzthus cause the grippingtjaws to shift so as: to; grip the; object:

A; further purpose is toposition opposite counterpart jaws,- which form a grippingsoc-ket-;, each of thejaws having aside and, back jawportion and the-jawsbeing open attthe-t mouth,.topivot thejjaws-through the opposite sideportionsg, the ja.ws ,:ha;vingganE open position in which the: backjaw portionsare close. togethenand theside jaw portionsdiverge froma-plane; connecting the-:pivotal axes outwardly toward-:the mouth, and;thei jaws having ac losed {position-in which thezbacls. jaw portionsaarermore widely. spaced, and thesidejawrportions;converget'from the plane. connecting. the pivotal; axes outwardly. toward the mouth, and. to urge. jawsafrom-opentowlosed-sposiv tion. by} pressure on. the. back. jaw. portions transverse tothe:plane,connecting the. pivotal axes,=;the jawss being urged resiliently into :openposition.

A further purpose. is. to provide a movable latch; suitably. a plunger. but permissibly, ofpivotedor other character,, which; extends into-the space. betweeni the back. jaw. portions in. closed. position. and,- holds.- the.- jaws in closed .position. I

A futher. purpose. is. to' limit. the. movement in open position by. stops engaging the. outsidessof: the. side jaw portions, toward the mouth with. respect. to, the, plane connecting. the pivotal. axes.

A, further purpose. isto. limit. the. movement. of. the jaws. in closed position by, stops. engaging. the. outsides of the back: jaw portions.

Further purposes appear in. the, specification. and. in the claims.-

In the drawing Ihave chosen" to illustrate a.fe.w only of the numerous embodiments in: which my invention may appear; selecting the formsshowmfrom the. stand.- points of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

Figure--1 is a sideelevation ofthe clamp of the invention andcits support applied to' holdf a fishing pole, which. is shown in phantom. I

Figure 2*is a perspective 'oftli'e clamp; and aliagment offthejsupport; I 1

Figure'3" is a detailperspectiveofon'e of the clampingja'ws.

Figure 4 is a section" o'f"the' clamp, of the. invention onthe=line4 4' of Figure 7; theclamp beingdn open position with the" article clamp'ed' being shown; in phantom.

Figure 5"is' a'view similar'toFigure 4 in closed-. positi' n- Figure 6' is a: fragmentary. view similarto Figure- 4, showing the clamp released.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section on the'-line7'-'-7 of Figure 4 Figure 8 is a top plan view-of the clamp of the in'-' vention with the mounting tube broken away;

Figures 9 to l2'show a-variation.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary. section-on the line'9 9 of FigurelO, in open position.-

Figure IOis a top plan'view-of Figure 9, in closed position.

Figure 11 is a sectionon the line-11-11 of Figure 9, showing the clamp. in: open position.

Figure 12 is' 3':- sec'tion corresponding to Figure 11 showing the clamp in closed position.

Figures 13'and l killustrate a:further-variation= Figurev 13 is a section on:the line- 13'--13= of Figure 14, showing the clamp in open position.

Figure: 14 is a; section on the line 141 14: of Figure 13; showing the clampv in" OPeH'POSiIiOH:

Describing in illustration but not in limitation. and referring; to the: drawings:

Jaw clamps are widely used to gripwarious: oblje'ctsi One wideguse is; in theholding-of fishingrpoles, especial- 1y for deep sea fishing; Many: of the-present clamps-used in: holding, fishing poles are'- cumbersome and inconvenient; often makingythe fisherman: gothrough special procedure to release the. clamp in order toremove the polefromuthe clamp;- for: example to play afish orto inspector. change'the bait or rig;

In: accordance with: thepresent invention; the clamp can' functio'n merely'to -po'sition the object until a lateral pulliis' applied; atwhich: time. the:- pull: itself causes: the clamp to grip: Thus-in this Wayspecial= procedure to release the clampis onlynecessary in; those cases in which the clamp: hasassumed: aclosed or gripping position: and not merely! where the clamp. has been retaining the object without grippingi Figure 1 illustrates; the clamp}. 20.- of the invention mounted as on'thestern of a boat. 21= by a mounting tube ori similar support 22 held by a bracket 23. At 'a position farther. removed from} the edgeof the boat, with respect to the-clamp *2.0-a supp.0rt25 on'lthe mount-s ing. tube holds. a socket 261' which suitably receives a butt end of-- a.fishing; pole2 7. The pole carriesa reel 28 andfatrsome positionalong-thehandleextends through the gripping socket 30; of; the clamp 20':

The clamp 20-consists 0f: ahousihg 31 mounted on the mounting tube-22 and havingia hollow interior; 33 suitably'of'reetangularz shape; and aligned front and back notches or reeesses:34,-in-.the-ends:open atthe top;

Opposite counterpart clamping ja'ws- 35's are mounted in. the hollowinterior 33; ofthe. housing; Each of the jaws has a side portion 36 toward? the. open mouth and aback portion a 37- remote'there'frorn. The sideportion-has: a longitudinallyextending pivot 38'which suit ably extends in from each; end1ofthe housing without extending allzthe way through in the. preferrediembodimerit. The; pivot isinearthe middle of the side" portion. Theaxesof-. pivoting; are parallel to one another and parallel to theaxis of' the.- object clamped; The bacl; portion curves zit-4t) toward the opposite ja'w.

Thev jawshavesufiieient freedom so that they can move between an open position as. in Figure 4 and a closed;position.asin Figure 5. In'the ope'n position as inFigure 4, the jaws are placedwith the backportions relatively, closetogether, and the jaws diverge-211241 toward the. mouth 42;with respect to'the plane'connecting the axes of: the pi-vots- 3.8.

On theother. hand, thejaws have a closed position as shown in Figureiin Whichthebaek; ja-Wportions are more widely spaced than in the open position, and

the side jaw portions at 43 located slightly toward the mouth with respect to the plane connecting the axes of the pivots 38, converge so as to cause gripping of an object like a pole in the jaws.

It will be evident that the movement from the open position to the closed position is produced by a force on the fishing rod laterally of its axis and transverse to the plane connecting the axes of the pivots 38, such as the pull of a fish when a bite is obtained on the fishing line having suitable drag.

On the opposite sides of the back jaw portions spring sockets 45 are provided extending outwardly away from the opposite jaw, and these receive spiral compression springs 46 which act between the bottom of the socket 45 and in inside of the side wall 47 of the housing to urge the jaws toward open position.

The movement toward open position is limited by stops 48 on the outsides of the side portions which engage the side walls 47 of the housing at a position toward the mouth with respect to the plane connecting the axes of the pivots 38. This stop engagement is shown in Figure 4.

The limitation on opening movement of the jaws in closed position is provided by stop surfaces 50 on the outside of the back jaw portions which engage the insides of the side walls 47 of the housing and are shown in limiting position in Figure 5.

It will be evident that the back jaw portions are farther apart in closed position than in open position. Advantage is taken of this to lock the jaws in closed position. To assure adequate space between the back jaw portions in closed position, recesses 51 are providcd, suitably near the middle of the back jaw portions.

In line with the recesses 51 an opening 52 is provided through the housing and the mount, and this opening carries a latching plunger 53 having a head 54 which in closed position engages between the back jaw portions. Spiral compression spring 55 urges the plunger toward locking position, acting against the head from a spring abutment 56 in the inside of the mount. A handle 57 on the Outside end of the plunger can be grasped to withdraw it and release the clamp.

In the form of Figures 1 to 8, the latch extends transverse to the axis of the article gripped by the jaws. In the form of Figures 9 to 12 the latching plunger is parallel to the axis of the article gripped. In this form a plunger 53' having a head 54 moves in a plunger well 58 extending out from the housing in line with the back jaw portion. A spiral compression spring 55' acts from an abutment 56' near the outer end of the housing.

The forms of Figures 13 and 14 show a pivoted latch 53 which is pivoted on a shaft 60 journalled in one end of the housing, the shaft carrying outside the housing an operating handle 57 transverse to the shaft. A suitable recess 61 in the bottom of the housing permits the latch to swing, being urged toward latching position by compression spring 55 in spring well 62 acting from spring abutment 56 In operation, the jaws will normally be in open positron as shown in Figure 4, with the latch out of engagement. The object to be clamped, such as a fishing pole, is placed in the jaws and unless it is desired to clamp the object it is left loose, held by the socket at the rear end and the side retention of the clamp. If immediate clamping is desired the user presses down in the direcnon of the arrow 44, forcing the jaws to shift from the open stop position of Figure 4 to the closed stop position of Figure 5, and causing the shape of the mouth outwardly of the plane connecting the axes of the pivpts to change from diverging in Figure 4 to converging m Figure 5. The clamp automatically remains in clamping position because the latch in any one of the forms under the action of its spring grasps between the back aw portions and holds the clamp in engagement with the fishing pole or other object. I

If the fishing pole is initially left loose it will clamp automatically whenever the fisherman gets a bite, due to the downward pull on the front end of the pole which exerts a force in the direction of the arrow 44.

In case the clamp is not engaged, the fisherman can remove the pole or other object from the clamp freely at any time to inspect or change the rig or bait.

After the clamp is clamped, it can, at any time, be readily released by withdrawing the latch (moving the latch downward). It is then only necessary for the fisherman to overcome the pull of the fish plus the weight of the rod, in order to remove the object from the clamp.

It will be evident that the clamp of the invention is specially suited for fishing, but can be employed in other applications if it is desired. For example, it can be used to clamp brooms, golf clubs, rods, pipes or other objects.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

I claim:

1. A clamp for an object having a pair of opposite counterpart jaws which form a clamping socket, each of the jaws having side and back jaw portions and the jaws being open at a mouth opposite to the back jaw portions, each of the jaws being pivoted through its side portion opposite the middle of the clamping socket, the respective jaw pivots being on opposite sides of the clamping socket forward of the back jaw portions and the respective pivots being parallel to one another, the jaws having an open position in which the back jaw portions are close together and the side jaw portions diverging from a plane connecting the axes of the pivots outwardly toward the mouth, and having a closed position in which the back jaw portions are more widely spaced than in the open position and the side jaw portions converge from the plane connecting the pivotal axes outwardly toward the mouth, resilient means acting on the jaws for urging the jaws from closed to open position, stops limiting the movement of the jaws in open position, stops limiting the movement of the jaws in closed position, there being latch restraining abutments toward the rear of the jaws in open position, a movable latch engaging the abutments on the jaws in open position and restrained against latching by the abutments in open position and movable into the space between the jaws rearward of the pivot in closed position due to movement of the abutments out of the way of the latch in closed position, and spring means urging the latch toward latch restraining engagement with the abutments, whereby an object can rest unclamped in the open jaws, substantially filling the space of the jaw socket, and on applying pressure by the object toward the back jaw portions, the object will swing the jaws into position and trigger the latch.

2. A clamp according to claim 1, in which the latch is a plunger latch.

3. A latch according to claim 1, in which the latch is a pivoting latch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 607,545 Martin July 19, 1898 730,038 Murlless June 2, 1903 1,006,109 Malmstrom Oct. 17, 1911 1,030,386 Comeau June 25, 1912 1,033,531 Brown July 23, 1912 1,246,492 Thiele Nov. 13, 1917 1,968,462 Merhell July 31, 1934 2,242,573 Edwards May 20, 1941 2,297,919 Scott Oct. 6, 1942 2,379,060 Bacheldor June 26, 1945 

